Ice cream cools off Needham residents
Launching Scholars gives kids leg up
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Doing math in the summer and staying past the bell to do even more math during the school year, all in hopes of eventually learning calculus, is such a nightmare to most students that when a group of kids from an impoverished LA high school did it, they...
Needham learns about Real ID
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Starting in October of 2020, you will no longer be able to fly domestically (or get into federal buildings) using your Massachusetts license. Instead, you will need to either renew your license (or Mass ID) to become a federal Real ID-compliant one, or get a replacement license that...
Needhamites return from STC Lebanon trip
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Recently, Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council members and Needham residents Joe Ramrath and Zoher Ghogawala travelled to Lebanon, along with Sejal Srinivasan, Mahsa Khanbabai and Paige Hornor, to witness firsthand the challenges faced by Syrian refugees. These dedicated and passionate advocates traveled across the world learn about the help being provided by...
Droid-making workshop electrifies library
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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
Any person who has ever seen “Star Wars” knows the feeling of wanting to have a droid of one’s own. Whether it’s the worrisome C3-PO, the talkative but helpful R2-D2, the small and sassy BB-8, or one of the hundreds of others from the “Star Wars” universe, there...
New Legacy Swing gets crowd dancing
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
While it wasn’t a swing dancing concert, on Thursday night at the Memorial Park gazebo, New Legacy Swing had at least one couple dancing - and pretty much everyone in the crowd bobbing their heads along to American favorites like “Blue Skies” and “Fly Me to the Moon.”
Based...
Kalmia Garden Club awards scholarships
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The Kalmia Garden Club awarded scholarships to Noah Ramos of Needham High School and William Humberstone of Norfolk Agricultural High School in Walpole. Both students are Needham residents interested in horticulture and related fields.
Noah Ramos will be attending UMass Amherst in the fall, majoring in the Animal Science program. He will be working at...
Circle of Hope receives generous grant
Circle of Hope has announced it has received a $12,000 grant from the MAXIMUS Foundation. The grant will support Circle of Hope’s mission to promote health and dignity for homeless individuals and families in Boston and MetroWest by providing clothing, toiletries, linens, shoes, and coats.
Circle of Hope is based in Needham and makes eight to...
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Puppets’ intergalactic journey out of this world
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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
Puppeteer Sparky Davis was ready to entertain her audience on Wednesday, July 24. The Needham Library’s Community Room was filled with excited children and parents, waiting to see three short puppet plays. This show focused on stories featuring outer space elements: “A Trip to the Moon,” “The Wind and...
SJST presenting ‘High School Musical’
Saint Joseph Summer Theatre (SJST) is performing "High School Musical" on August 8-10. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. This show will mark the return of SJST to the Saint Joseph School stage, located at 90 Pickering Street in Needham.
SJST is a student-run...
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Kids remember Moon landing with craft
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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
Just days after the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, kids at the Needham Library celebrated in their own way by making galaxies in a cup.
To start the craft, each participant was given a ping pong ball - their own personal planet - pinned on a nail. With dozens...
Curious Creatures visit School
Needham’s Julia Cuddy takes prestigious award
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Massachusetts' top two youth volunteers of 2019, Julia Cuddy, 17, of Needham and Will Gladstone, 14, of Arlington, were recently honored in the nation’s capital for their outstanding volunteer service during the 24th annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Julia and Will – along with 100 other top youth volunteers...
Project VAN visits Community Council
By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
For most of the summer, kids fill their calendars working summer jobs and spending time with friends and family.
But for a few days in July, local kids sacrifice their time volunteering with Volunteers Around Needham (VAN). Each week of the month, a group of volunteers visits a different place in...
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NASA Ambassador teaches kids about Mars
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
This year, the Needham Free Public Library’s summer reading program revolves around space exploration. So, last Tuesday, July 9, the Library invited NASA Solar System Ambassador Piyush Khopkar to speak about the red planet, Mars, and the science involved in exploring it.
While going to Mars is in so...
Seniors sway to swing band
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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
It’s not every day that people get a chance to get up and dance to real swing band.
On Tuesday, June 25, visitors at the Needham Center at the Heights were ready to enjoy their rooftop deck and break out their grill, before inclement weather put a damper on...
Needham celebrates Independence Day
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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
Each year, thousands of people come to Needham’s Memorial Park on July 3 to see some of the best fireworks in celebration of Independence Day. This year was bigger and better than ever.
People picked their spots hours in advance, marking them with blankets, chairs, or even plastic tarps....
Needham’s Arrieta-Ruetenik an Unsung Heroine
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Georgina Arrieta-Ruetenik of Needham was named a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s 2019 class of Unsung Heroines. Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham) nominated Arrieta-Ruetenik for this recognition because of her behind-the-scenes activism and commitment to serving the community of Needham. Arrieta-Ruetenik was honored with 130 other Unsung Heroines for...
Laser show electrifies Needham
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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
On Monday, June 24, parents and their kids came to the Needham library to see a laser show. Fitting perfectly into the 2019 summer reading program’s theme of “A Universe of Stories,” the performance focused on the history of space travel, scientific discoveries, and popular space-themed stories and tropes.
The...
Needham teens in all-star band
